Forgetting The Expected
by Princess Kitana Rose
Summary: Hermione is sent back in time. She grows frantic to get back to her own time because she's falling in love with someone who is forbidden to fall in love with. HBP SPOILERS!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Ok, I'll do this probably for every chapter, but just in case I forget this disclaimer will stand true for all chapters from here on. I do not own Harry Potter. There are many reasons that support this statement: 1: If I was J.K. Rowling, would I really be writing fanfiction? That doesn't make a lick of sense! For one thing, I'd be a fan of myself…strange and possible but I doubt anyone is _that _vain. 2: Why would I be writing fanfiction when I could just write a novel and make a bazillion and one bucks? That also, makes no sense. 3: This story will not have the greatness of J.K. Rowling's stories. Sure, no matter what other people think of my story I will like it, but it is no where near the brilliance that is Harry Potter. Well…I thought I had more reasons to add to this long disclaimer, but I suppose that's the gist of it and I'm done for now.

**Rating:** This is rated PG-13 for a reason folks. If you're offended by it, I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience. This story will have cursing, battle scenes, sexual content, and scary moments. Hehe, sorry had to add the scary moments thing. They add that to all the Harry Potter movies, so for a Harry Potter fanfiction…it's somewhat scary. When I say scary I mean freaky. When I say freaky I mean different. When I say different I mean weird. Yep.

**Author's Note:** Here am I you lucky folks, with my songs and bag of jokes! Um…it's a line from my madrigal feast! Oh my…fun fun times. Alright…actually you aren't that lucky to be reading my story probably. It's probably one that is just blah and no one likes the general idea of but me. Or perhaps you will like it…only time will tell. I have no idea what made me write a fanfiction like this. I suppose it's because I like the impossible to happen. Or thrilling love stories. I was never attracted to the James/Hermione ship because I've never heard of it! I was surfing one day and met someone who liked them as a couple and decided to test my willingness for this ship. Surfing I found only like a handful of stories written about a potential couple. I suppose this story is testing me to see if I like them as a couple or not…we shall see what we shall see. (HA! Another line!) So for those of you that have no clue or just skip author's notes in the first place this is my warning for the story:

**If you do not like Hermione Granger/James Potter as a couple, this is not a story for you!**

There, that should warn some potential flamers! And also for those of you who are actually reading the novel length author's note I have no idea what-so-ever where I'm going with this fic. I am simply just going to let my fingers dance in anyway they want across the keyboard. Then with whatever comes out I will edit and edit until I can edit no more or I am too lazy to continue and post it. If you have suggestions on what you would like to happen I will take them into consideration. Who knows what will happen? I sure as hell don't. Anywho, without further ado (I rhymed!) I present to you (I did it again!)…

Oh and I should also mention something else. I started writing this story before Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Now that I have finished the book I will be rewriting what little I had done so it continues where HBP left off. So then…

**This story contains major spoilers of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! If you have not read the book yet…get off your lazy bum and do it! You won't regret it, I promise you!**

So there…future banishings of some more potential flamers! Now if I can only get rid of those flamers who don't like the story…

When I was younger I swore to myself that I would never _ever _write a diary. Since the time I understood what a diary was I thought it was foolish and completely pointless to even think about doing. Now I am eating my words because here I am…writing in a diary.

Crazy how life works isn't it? I was for sure I would never get a detention in my life and then all of a sudden I had had three. I was never going to break a rule, but I soon found myself out hunting down the sorcerer's stone, one of the biggest rules to break. I never expected these things to happen, but I suppose they did and there is no changing that.

I've decided to write in this diary because there is a need to write down my feelings. The war against Voldemort is raging and terrifying and I feel I need a place to write down what's happened and how I feel about it. It's sort of a safer way for me to express myself. Besides, it is also a way for me to be spending my time. Since Hogwarts will not be opening this year, I have no need to study for exams. Sure, I can study just for the knowledge that studying brings, but it would not be the same I fear.

Because we're on the subject of the school closing I will tell you how I feel about it. I believe this is the best thing to do. However much I hate not going back to Hogwarts, my second home, I would rather see it safe and unharmed with no children in it, than terrorized and broken filled with injured and dead children. I believe McGonagal made a wise decision in closing the school. I'm sure she will open the school when it is safe too. Although it will be too late for me, I'm sure that seeing those many others growing up with magic is well worth my sacrifice.

The second I got my letter saying that Hogwarts indeed was not opening I sent owls to Harry and Ron. I was surprised how fast the owls returned from their houses. Usually it takes Ron and Harry a lot longer to respond to owls, especially these days. Ron's read:

_Dear Hermione,_

_I just finished reading my letter when your owl came flying into my room. He seemed as wound up as you were when you wrote the letter. After him flying around the room for fifteen minutes Ginny came in and got him for me. _

_I don't understand why they're closing the school! Can't the governors understand how important it is for the midgets to learn magic! I think that the governor's need a right kick up the (Insert colourful word)!_

_I have not heard from Harry yet. I'm hoping he is okay. You know how he gets. Be sure to write him about Hogwarts. _

_See you in one week!_

_Love,_

_Ron_

Although Ron had an excellent point about the uneducated _midgets _he was also oblivious to the many pros of the situation. I was surprised that Ron had remembered that I would be coming to the Burrow in one week's time. Usually he forgot about these visits until I arrived on his doorstep. It usually took him about ten minutes to answer the door with all the secret questions we had to answer for each other. I know it is for the best but when you start asking questions like, "What did Lavender call me?" and you absolutely _have _to answer back, "Won-Won." It gets a little uncomfortable for each person.

I scribbled back a hasty reply to Ron's letter just as Hedwig flew into the room. She seemed glad to be on a flight. I'm sure she didn't get much exercise lately. Harry seemed to shut himself out more than often now that Dumbledore had died. He rarely sent letters to people and when he did he would scribble two words: I'm fine. Everyone knew that he was not fine, but what could anyone do? Ron and I had talked to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about abducting him from the horrible Dursley's but they quickly squelched our idea saying that the time was not right.

Hedwig landed on my shoulder and nipped at my ear happily. I petted her lightly for a moment before taking the letter from her. She seemed to understand that I was going to write a letter back and perched herself on the top of my dresser.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I had suspected they would not open Hogwarts again. Dumbledore wouldn't of. It's just as well; I didn't plan on going back._

_Best wishes,_

_Harry_

I had not expected more than a sentence. I was surprised to see three. Almost a paragraph! I was more shocked to see that Harry had been able to write Dumbledore's name without a wiggle of his quill. Usually when he talked about what happen his voice would quaver. When he wrote anything about something uncomfortable or sad his hand would get shaky and his words would look unprofessional and look like he had a hard time writing them.

I had known that he did not plan on going back anyway of course. I myself had not planned on going back if the school had reopened. I want to go with Harry and help him track down the horcruxes. Ron and I had made promises to Harry and to ourselves that no matter what happened, no matter how much he didn't want us to get caught up in everything, we would be there every step of the way. Ron and I knew how Harry secretly wanted someone to fall back on. Harry always wants support in everything he does. Take his reluctance to ask Ginny out. He wanted Ron to be okay with it. If Ron had not then there is not a doubt in my mind that he wouldn't have gone out with her. Harry wants us to support him in his travels to destroy the remaining horcruxes. And Ron and I will be there.

Since I briefly mentioned the relationship between Harry and Ginny I must also add that Ginny is quite devastated that they had to break up. Then again, so is Harry. Those two are really too blind to see that they really like each other too much to just break it off. Whenever I visit the Burrow Ginny is moping around, sniffling, and shuffling her feet. She spends a lot of time locked up in her room looking at pictures of Harry and waiting for a letter from him that will not come because he too is, no doubt, sitting at home moping around, sniffling, and shuffling his feet around his room waiting for a letter from her. Love is blind. I hope that they both realize how important it is to not lot Voldemort take advantage of their likeness of each other. It would be what Voldemort wants. To separate them and put fear in Harry's heart knowing that Ginny is just another person to try to over power Harry with.

Picking up my quill once again I scribbled a letter to Harry. I told him to write to me whenever he could and that I would appreciate more than two word responses. I also wrote at the bottom of the note as a P.S.: Write her. I'm sure he'll understand what I mean.

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One week has slipped by like grains of sand through your fingers. It seems that I have not been as faithful to my new diary as I would have liked. It's not as if I have important news to report anything, but I would like to try and write in this diary more than once a week. I'll need to make a schedule.

Finally the time has come for me to travel to the Burrow. It's been a while since I have been allowed to visit. Molly did not want my visits to be equally spaced apart and predictable in case someone was watching me. This thought worried me, but I understood. People that live on a schedule are easy to find. Therefore, it had been two and half weeks since I had been there last.

I packed up my clothes and books for my three day stay. I packed the essentials: clothes, toothbrush, Advanced Defense against the Dark Arts for the Wizard or Witch who is already Advanced, Potions of the Decade, and Warlock Wanderings. I decided to leave behind my copy of Hogwarts: A History because I would not be needing the source anymore. Sadly I placed it back into the bookcase. I tucked my wand into my robe pocket and set off.

I walked three blocks in a hurry, not wanting to be out in the open for too long. Looking around I scanned the park for people who may see my appearate. Finding no obvious eyes, and hoping there were no spying eyes, I quickly spun around and visualized the Burrow. I would not be appearating right to the Burrow because of new wards set up for protection, but I was told that if I visualized it I would be able to appearate to the nearest unprotected place of appearation. I found myself in the familiar meadow lane that was about half a mile from Ron's house. Sighing, I pulled up my pack and set off at a brisk pace.

I always felt nervous about my track to the Burrow. I was out in the middle of no where, where no one would be able to hear my scream if I was attacked. The Weasley's lived out in the country and seemed to feel safer away from spying eyes, but I felt uneasy without being near a place to hide if the need arose. I started walking faster than I already was and broke out into a run. I reached the house before I knew it and let out a breath of relief.

Slowly I walked up to the front door and knocked four times in a pattern, symbolizing that a friend had arrived. I heard footsteps from the other side of the door and rolled my eyes in annoyance. Here comes the standard, unnecessary, too long procedure.

"Who's there?" Ron asked. He sounded unsure even though he knew that I would be arriving promptly at three o'clock in the afternoon.

"Hermione Granger."

"If you're Hermione Granger you would know Ginny's real name."

"Ginevra," I replied dully.

"You could have been told to say that," Ron replied equally as dull. I could tell that we both thought this process a bit too extreme.

"Ginny told me in second year. She wasn't sure if she should be known as Ginny in school or Ginevra."

"How did we become friends?"

"We took down a troll in the girl's bathroom in first year, on Halloween night. You used the _wingardium leviousa _spell."

"Um…" Ron stammered for a moment.

"You're supposed to ask me what Lavender called you while you were going out," I said adjusting my pack. It was too heavy for me to just stand here and answer stupid questions.

"Oh! What did Lavender call me?"

"Won-Won."

There was a pause. Ron made some noise on the other side of the door. "Wow, it looks like you've been running Hermione! Whatcha do?"

"If you can see me, you know it's me! Let my in you prat!" I snapped. This was growing very frustrating.

Ron laughed. "Now I know it's you," he said as he opened the door. I set my pack down and looked at him for a moment. He looked like he hadn't slept well in weeks, which he probably hadn't. His hair was sticking up in places it didn't normally stick up and his clothes were wrinkled and in bad shape. The sparkle in his eyes had not gone out but twinkled dismally. His laugh lines seemed to have disappeared forever. He looked like he was forced to grow up too fast.

He stood there leaning on the door for a moment before I launched myself at him and hugged him tightly.

**Author's Note:** End of chapter one! I hope you guys like it. If you don't…you can't say I didn't warn you about how awkward and weird it would be. So leave me a little line on your way back to your normal life. Please…


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** No matter how much I wish it, it never comes true. So even though I stare out my window and sing "When You Wish upon a Star" I still do not own Harry Potter. Curse Disney! (j/k!) I should add that even though I briefly mentioned it in a _disclaimer_ that I do not own "When You Wish upon a Star". Man, I own nothing but a very confused and simple mind. I got ripped off on the whole be able to write a song/story/movie/painting/anything. Poo.

**Rating:** Well, it's PG-13 for a reason, ya'll. Knowing me, (which I'm pretty sure I do…) I'll throw in some sexual content, swearing, blood and gore, and scary moments. By the way, did you see that its official that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is rated PG-13? I think it's fantastic. It just makes it feel more…well darn I don't know of a word to describe it. Just more dark and interesting I suppose. Can't wait until the Voldemort confrontation!

**Author's Note:** Wow. That's all I have to say. All those reviews just floored me. I really appreciate everything you guys said to me. Cantatedomino, you especially made me smile wide. That really was a great compliment. Anyway, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a long time. There were a bazillion and one things to do around the house and then I broke two fingers on my left hand while riding. I didn't think it would be really fun to type with one hand so I waited until I could type slowly…sorry about the delay.

I must also say that this chapter points to a rather different couple than the one I'm aiming for. While Hermione is still in her time I feel it's appropriate to have her like who J.K. Rowling is no doubt pointing toward: Ron. If you don't like Ron and Hermione together, don't worry it's only for a chapter or two…or possibly three.

I soon broke away from Ron feeling embarrassed. Why did I have to do those stupid things? I'm sure that Ron did not enjoy me throwing myself at him. Did he? I pushed these puzzling thoughts to the side when I realized he had started talking.

"Mum and Dad are at a meeting," he explained stepping away from me, his face a bright red. "Ginny went over to Loony-Lov--" Ron broke off at the glare I sent at him. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um…Ginny went over to Luna's house for a while."

"So basically, you're saying that we've got the house to ourselves?"

Ron blushed crimson. For what reason, I could not fathom. "Yes."

I grinned. This is exactly what I wanted. I've wanted to be alone with Ron for a while now so that we could _discuss _things. I hadn't ever had a proper chance to discuss important issues with him in a long time. Back at Hogwarts we would always be interrupted by various people. Usually Lavender would be around and it would be impossible to get a word out of either of them because their mouths were a little busy for words. Other times Ginny would walk in, and I feel it would be best not to discuss these important issues in front of Ron's little sister. And the worst yet, Harry would be around. I knew that it would be too awkward for me to say anything in front of Harry.

"Excellent!" Ron looked at me with an eyebrow raised high on his forehead the blush that originally been reserved to his cheeks spread out to include the rest of his face and the tops of his ears. I got the picture immediately. "Oh, no," I explained feeling my cheeks grow hot also. "I just wanted to discuss some important issues with you. N-Nothing like _that_."

Ron let out a low breath in relief as did I. It seems that whenever I mention something completely innocent it is always twisted around and turned into a phrase that shouts, "I love Ron!" to anyone who hears it. I have of coarse had feelings for Ron for quite some time, but I never had the opportunity to express them, had I? Well, the answer is no. In fourth year he still had not realized that I was a girl. Fifth year I wasted pretending to be infatuated with Krum just to make him jealous. I should have told him then. The previous year had been a complete disaster. What with Lavender connected to him at the lips and all.

I had always considered Ron to be my all time crush. Ginny had Harry. Harry had Cho. Ron had…wait a minute. Who did Ron have? He had never once mentioned who he fancied, now that I look back on it. Sure there was that fling with Fleur but that wasn't the same. Everyone had a crush on Fleur; probably due to the fact that she was part veela. I'm sure, or at least hoping, that Ron has given up the infatuation with Fleur because it is quite obvious that she and Bill are going to be married. It would be quite demented if Ron fell in love with his sister-in-law.

But what if Ron liked me? I had thought of this many times. Sure I was always around and he knew me very well so it wouldn't be hard to find conversation points. But wouldn't it be weird to actually date? I've always wanted to know what it was like to be kissed by Ron Weasley, but did he feel the same about me? Sure there were points in our friendship that pointed to yes, but we were always fighting. Ron was the type of person who annoyed me just for breathing too loudly. Sometimes he annoyed me just because I felt like being annoyed at him. Surely that was no sign that it would work out.

On the other hand, there were times when Ron made my heart pang hard against my chest. Things that were completely innocent. The way he would lean over and glance at my paper trying to get answers. I could smell his scent then: sweet berries in the woods. I liked the way he would try to be sneaky about cheating off of me also. I liked it when he would smile at one of my jokes. Truly smile. When he truly smiled his teeth would show, his eyes would dance, and laugh lines complete with dimples would appear. I rarely saw Ron's true smile anymore. There were too many depressing things.

Ron and I stood in awkward silence for several moments. Occasionally I would glance up from the floor and meet his eye. I would quickly look away though, too embarrassed to say anything. It was Ron who finally broke the silence. "So what is it you wanted to discuss?"

I inwardly let out a whoop. "A Lot of things actually. Mostly about what's been happening lately." Ron nodded sadly and sat down at the table. I followed his lead and sat down also.

"I suppose you'll want to talk about Harry then," he said in a mumble. It almost sounded like he was jealous.

I nodded. "I just have some major questions that I would like your opinion on." I quickly pulled out a group of papers that had the questions I most answered written on them. Ron rolled his eyes at me. I suddenly felt like Rita Skeeter. I felt like a reporter. It wasn't entirely a bad feeling.

"Do you think there are seven horcruxes or do you think there are more?"

"Well," Ron began. "I think that if he wanted to become immortal he would have made as many as possible. It sounds like him to make more than one, but why stop at seven? I think that he continued making them until his downfall. There could be hundreds of them now."

I shivered at the thought of there being hundreds of Voldemort's soul floating around. I had thought this too. Why seven? Seven was an unlucky number. An example being the seven deadly sins. It would be more like Voldemort to make thirteen though.

"Do you think Harry will approve of us following him?"

Ron shook his head. "Of course he won't! Harry doesn't want anyone getting caught up in this horrible mess. He feels responsible for what happened to Sirius. He feels even more responsible for what happened to Dumbledore. He broke Ginny's heart just to keep her safe, which may not even work," Ron trailed off clearly uncomfortable. I sat there not wanting to say anything. "I recon he wouldn't know what to do if he lost one of us. I'm sure he would be crazy with guilt and sadness and be a broken man the rest of his life if anyone even came near you. I'm sure I would be."

At moments like these all the things I've read in books just fly out of my mind. All the romance novels I ever read come flying in. It makes me uncomfortable. I don't like not knowing what to say or do. I like to know all the answers. "But Harry would be even more upset if anything happened to you. Don't forget that it wasn't me that he would miss the most. In fourth year it was you he would miss the most. You connect with him on more levels than I do. You have the unfair advantage of being a boy. Erm…man I mean."

Why do I have to be so foolish? Can't I form a compliment right? It's only Ron!

"It's not only us that want to follow him you know," Ron said. "Ginny's been talking about following him also. She wants to make sure he stays safe."

I had already known this. Ginny had never said it outright, but I knew that she would go to the ends of the earth just to make Harry smile. Merlin knows what she'd do to save his life. "I know. And Harry would die if anything happened to Ginny."

"How are we going to make Harry understand that we're there for him, no matter what happens?" Ron asked.

It was one of the questions I had intended to ask Ron. I had no idea how to show Harry that I wanted to be there with him. I wanted to risk my life just to save his. He thinks that he's in this alone. Or at least he wants to be in it alone. He wants it to be just him and Voldemort. No one else gets hurt. Too bad fairy tale endings don't exist. I know that Harry also wants support. He wants us to be there without actually being there. It's frustrating really.

"I'm not sure. It's confusing to know what Harry wants. Sometimes when he's depressed he wants to be around people and forget, but other times he wants to be alone and remember. It's hard to say for sure how we're going to prove that we'll be there through thick and thin."

Ron nodded along wisely. "Do you think Voldemort will attack someone close to Harry to force him to give up?" Damn, Ron was asking all the questions I wanted to ask!

"Well, you and I have been targets since day one," I said not regretting a thing.

"Well, it was a nearly two months before you became a target," Ron pointed out annoyingly. "We became friends on Halloween, the last day in October, exactly two months since the first day of term."

I glared at him. "Well, we've always been targets. There's always been that chance that Voldemort will attack my family. What with them being muggles and all. There's also the chance that he would go after your family again."

"But he didn't go after my family," Ron explained. "Malfoy did. Malfoy had no idea that he was slowly growing into power again. Malfoy gave Ginny the diary just to give it to someone he truly wanted dead."

"Either way," I argued. "Your family is also a target. Harry realizes that Ginny would be an obvious target. Harry risked his life and nearly died just because she was your sister. They barely knew each other. Voldemort wouldn't let the opportunity to take Ginny slip away."

Ron visibly shivered at the thought. I smiled. I loved how protective the Weasley brothers were over Ginny. I'm sure that if anyone hurt Ginny they would have the brain power of Percy, the strength of Bill, Charlie, and Ron, and the pranks of Fred and George all combined in one powerful blow. I'm sure that Ron had sent Harry a rather colorful letter after Ginny started moping around the house. It was sweet.

I quickly changed the subject, not wanting to talk about people being captured and possibly killed. "So, do you think that Snape is truly evil?"

Ron's mouth opened in shock and a blank stare entered his once saddened eyes. "Are you nutters Hermione?" he whispered. "Of course he's evil! He bloody killed Dumbledore!"

"I know, Ron, but he couldn't have just sat there with all those death eaters around and not kill him, could he? He had made a wizard's promise--" I stopped. A wizard's promise! That was it! To prove to Harry that Ron and I would not leave him and that we supported him! "Ron that's it!"

"What's it?" He asked dumbly.

"A wizard's promise! We have to promise Harry that we'll always be there. That way he'll know that we're not lying. Because if we were lying then we'd die wouldn't we?"

"Um…Hermione that may not be as easy as you think it is."

"What are you talking about? I think that with the brain power of you and me we can pull it off. We made polyjuice potion in second year. People don't usually make that until at least sixth year if not seventh. I think we'll be fine."

Ron however didn't look certain. Before he could argue his point there was a loud bang. I shot out of my seat and instantly pulled out my wand ready to attack whoever it was. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Ron had done the same. We waited perfectly still for what seemed like hours before someone rounded the corner into the room. I felt the spell forming on my lips and let it die out just in time. Ron however had not realized that it was friend and not foe and fired a nasty spell in their direction. A look of surprise appeared on Ginny's face before she doubled over.

"Ron!" I yelled running to Ginny's side. Ron had hit her with a rather powerful spell that knocked the wind out a person. Ginny huffed and puffed as I led her to the couch. Ron followed after us explaining over and over again that he was truly sorry and that he hadn't known it was her. After a moment Ginny gathered the biggest breath she could. "Ron, shut up before I knock the breath out of _you_!" She wheezed.

Ron snapped his mouth shut. I laughed for a moment. "Are you alright, Gin?"

She nodded her head, her flaming red hair falling into her face. She is rather pretty. It was no wonder why she had had so many boyfriends. Her long hair was beautiful and fell in many waves down her back. She had eyes the color of an oak trees bark. Her fair skin had been kissed by the suns rays and many small freckles dotted her cheeks and nose. But as I looked at her I noticed that her once perfect untouched skin had deep scratches and scrapes carved into it.

"Ginny, what happened?" I asked gingerly touching a wound on her hand. She jerked her hand away as if I had burned her. I felt hurt. Ron sat down on the couch next to Ginny and put an arm around her shoulders. Ginny sighed and leaned into her brother's embrace. I saw them both relax into each other. I smiled sadly. I would never have that protection. I had no siblings of my own and no significant other to share a precious moment with.

"Luna and I were out in her estate catching horn billed dilliups," Ginny began.

"But there's no--" I started to explain.

"Such thing as a horn billed dilliup?" Ginny asked shooting me a half grin. "I know this, but Luna is bound and determined to find one and study it. While we were out in her small woods we came upon a group of Cornish pixies." The rest she left for our imagination. I remembered the time Professor Lockhart had let those little devils run amuck in his classroom in second year. Ron seemed to remember this too because he got a faraway look in his eyes.

Ginny flinched as she touched a rather gruesome wound in her arm. "I can get you a warm cloth and some peroxide. It'll clean it out right away. Then when your Mother comes home she can fix it completely," I said rising to get a cloth for Gin. She shook her head and instead pulled out her wand.

"Gin, no!" Ron said trying to grab her hand, but her hand had already started a rather complex series of swishes and swoops. I knew instantly that she was using a simple healing spell. I heard her sweet, tired voice whisper the incantation. A purple light shot from her wand and wound itself around all the cuts and bruises she had. She closed her eyes and an instant later all the evidence of Cornish pixies evaporated.

"Ginny," Ron scolded. "You're not aloud to do magic outside of school."

Ginny rolled her pretty brown eyes in annoyance. "For one, they will not know who cast the spell. There are two," she pointed at Ron and me. "Wizards of age in the same room. For all they know Hermione cast the spell. Two, even if they could find that it was me. What are they going to do? Expel me from Hogwarts? They wouldn't be aloud to take away my wand. I know for a fact that it is against the law to disarm anyone during a time of war. Not in their own home at least."

"But Gin," Ron tried again.

Ginny's face turned red enough to rival Ron's red face on a bad day. "No, you listen to me Ronald!" She shouted poking him in the chest with a pointed finger. She took after Molly in so many ways. "I'm tired of being treated as if I'm going to break at any minute. Ever since I was born I have been blessed and cursed for having such a large family. Right now I curse it because you stand here thinking that I am fragile and weak. I am **_not _**weak!"

Before Ron could say anything back to her she had spun around and stomped up the stairs. I heard a door slam and flinched at the hollow sound. I turned to Ron and felt a breath stop painfully in my throat. He stood looking at the ground a broken man.

"Ron," I ventured. "Ron, are you ok?"

He didn't respond. Instead his eyes became watery and empty. His arms hung loosely at his sides, his fists clenching and unclenching. He stared straight ahead of him not really seeing anything. He blinked hard as if realizing that I was standing next him. He cleared his throat and said in a hoarse voice, "She's been planning on saying that for a while now."

I agreed silently. Ginny seemed to be waiting to snap in two and Ron had finally pushed her over the edge. "At least now it's out of her system. Now that she's told you how she feels you can both work through it."

Ron rolled his eyes. "You sound like a phychemolist."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "You mean a psychiatrist?" I asked. He only nodded and sat down on the couch. I followed suit. We sat in uncomfortable silence for eons. I didn't know what to say to cheer him up and I'm sure he had a lot of thoughts zooming around in him head. I did also.

Before I could attempt to make a conversation or even small talk an extremely short witch walked into the room.

"Hermione, dear," she screeched pulling me up into a bone crushing hug. I hugged Mrs. Weasley back reluctantly. She always seemed to have poor timing. "How was the trip, dear?"

I answered and we talked for a while about nothing in particular. Molly said that she had been busy running 'errands' for the order. When she talked about it she would turn red in the face and be flippant with her answers. She said it was nothing important. I doubted that from the start but a rather sporting bruise on her arm cleared all doubt in my mind that she was doing something dangerous. Throughout our small conversation Ron sat on the couch in silence. He stared straight ahead not seeing anything.

"Oh, Ron, won't you fetch your sister for me? I have some cooking to do otherwise I would do it myself. Won't you help me set the table, Hermione?"

It was unlike Mrs. Weasley to ask a guest for help. I looked at her tired face and agreed without hesitation. Maybe she thought I was finally part of the family? I had spent so much time there that I practically was. But I reasoned that she was probably too tired to do all the work herself. I offered to help with cooking once the table was set but she firmly refused, saying that guests never lift a finger too high at her house. I smiled at that.

It seemed like Ron had been taking his precious time in getting Ginny. They must be having a chat. I'm glad Ron could swallow his pride and work things out. Sure enough, a few minutes later Ginny and Ron came walking down the stairs, broad grins on their faces.

"'ello Mum," Ginny said hugging her mother from behind. Molly acknowledged her only daughter with a smile and a nod.

Dinner was delicious: chicken, biscuits and gravy, corn on the cob, pudding, and a nice big glass of ice cold milk. We all talked like there wasn't a war going on. It was nice to be care free, even if it was only for twenty minutes or so.

As we all finished dinner we sat around the table. I put a hand on my stomach feeling rather bloated from eating so much. I had several helpings of the corn on the cob.

"Whew," Molly said patting herself also. "That was a great dinner."

We all nodded in agreement. Molly looked around. I wondered why. There was no one around to see us, what could she possibly be looking for? "Well," she whispered. "I have some good news to share with you."

I scooted toward the front of my seat, hearing it moan in protest. Ron put his hands on the table and leaned forward expectantly. Ginny remained cool as a cucumber, only straightening a little, her eyes widening in interest. Molly cleared her throat and began.

"Well, it's not something your father agrees with," she said looking around again. I understood why she was being so cautious about now. She was looking out for Arthur. He was expected home in a while. He worked late nights and never had dinner with anyone anymore. "But I think it's high time you paid a visit to poor Harry."

Ron and I shot out of our chairs at the same time. I felt my cheeks ache. I hadn't smiled that broadly in a long time. Ron whooped and pulled me into a half hug. Molly watched us do a little victory dance, laughing hard when Ron stepped on my feet. Ginny, however, did not seem overjoyed to be going to see Harry.

She leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms. She shook her hair into her face to hide her emotions. Ron noticed this also. "Ginny, it won't be so bad," he assured her putting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. Then she smiled coyly, almost evilly, and shot back at him, "So, you fancy a visit to Lavender then, Ron?"

Ron turned a rather green color. His mouth opened in a gape. He opened and closed his mouth several times trying to get the right words out, only succeeding in looking like a fish. Ginny slid out of her chair and stalked up the stairs to her room. Molly sighed.

"I thought she might react that way," she said as she started clearing the plates and silverware. I helped her. "She is only going with us to bring Harry to Grimwauld place. He's still at his Aunt and Uncle's house, the poor dear. Anyway, we'll pick him up and bring him to his rightful home. After dinner Ginny and I will leave. Ron, you and Hermione have permission to stay the night."

Ron's face lit up again. I smiled at him. Mrs. Weasley must have taken my smile for something entirely different and suddenly became very stern. "Now, Hermione will be sleeping in her own room! There will be _no _and I repeat _no_ sleeping in the same room as the boys, Hermione."

I felt my face grow hot with embarrassment. I saw Ron's ears turn rather pink at the statement also. I nodded not trusting my voice to say anything. I almost giggled at the thought of Mrs. Weasley thinking we would do anything _risqué _just because we had a house to ourselves for a night.

"Now you best be getting to bed. We're leaving in the morning." With that she turned and walked into her bedroom. Ron and I were left standing in the kitchen.

"Can you believe it?" He asked in a whisper. "We're going to have an entire night to just hang out and not worry about anything. I can't believe the order is letting us do this!"

I myself couldn't believe it. "I don't think the order approves actually. Your mother said that your father didn't approve. She's probably going against all the ruled bringing us together, even if it is for one night."

"Hermione, you need to stop over analyzing things," he kidded. I blushed even more. "But we get to see Harry."

"Yes," I said smiling broadly. "We get to see Harry."

We walked up the stairs together both heading to our rooms for bed. Although I knew that sleep was far from me tonight. As we reached Ron's door I stopped. For some unexplainable reason, I stopped.

"Well, good night then," he said. I was looking at the floor and thought that he was going to just open the door and go to bed, instead he kissed me on the cheek and quickly went into his room. I felt the spot he had kissed me and smiled.

I floated back to my room and got ready for bed. As I lay in bed I knew that sleep wasn't ever going to come to me, and I liked it. I liked staying up thinking of my red haired friend down the hall, my black haired friend that I would see, and thinking of us being together again. Everything was perfect.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Please review. I know you want to…:)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Well…after going to therapy for many, many months they finally have me convinced that I'm not J.K. Rowling. It took a while but I know now that I'm not her. So this story is not written by her (me). Ya, that made about no sense but oh well.

**Rating:** It's rated PG-13 because I like to use cuss words, go into detail about icky bodily things like dying and love and the like. So be warned that even though this story isn't anything like Green Street Hooligans (Has anyone seen that? My goodness so much language we counted once and I got 257 swear words! and a lousy PG-13 rating! But still…one of my new favorite movies!) it still has a lot of variety in why it is rated PG-13.

**Author's Note:** Wow, it's been such a long time! I'm so sorry I haven't been updating. I'm just a lazy bum who likes to procrastinate until she feels so guilty she can't even look at the computer. Then after a few months the computer begins to look awful friendly and then BAM! Here I am writing another chapter. So I'm really sorry for the long delay. I would really like to thank luv sean faris for motivating me to get off my lazy bum and write. So this chapter is a little…different. That's because I am un-creative and have no idea how I want this to come out. So here's an attempt…

It has been twenty some years since I have seen this diary and yet I haven't aged a year. I didn't ever think that I would see it again. I had kind of hoped that I would never see it again. Like I said before, diaries disgust me. It feels different to be writing in this now. My hands are older, my nails have scratches in them, and my hand gets cramped from writing so much. I never knew anyone could age so much.

If anyone ever reads this diary they will wonder if I have become insane. In answer to the question that's zooming in your head: yes and no. Yes, I am insane. Why else would I have put a diary away and not written in it for twenty years? No, I'm not insane. I'm just a normal person who went back in time, fell in love, had her heart ripped out, and then came back. Happens all the time, right?

Now, again, you have questions flying around in that head of yours. Time travel? Is it possible? Does it happen all the time? And I have one question for you also. Wasn't there a time in this world when traveling around the world was impossible? A time when flying to the moon was just impossible? Anything is possible. Time travel is just a possibility that isn't going to happen very often.

Ok, now that I have you thoroughly confused I'm going to go back to the day all of this mumbo jumbo happened…

I woke up feeling the light of sun on my face. I groaned and rolled over trying to block the sun out. It didn't work so I gave in and got out of bed. Glancing at the clock I realized that I was behind schedule. I should be in and out of my shower by now and should be sitting at the table eating breakfast. Quickly I did what I always thought was disgusting…I said a spell to clean myself up. Usually I detest these types of spells. They are for people who are unorganized and have no sense of hygiene. So after the spell effectively cleaned my hair and brushed my teeth it continued on. This I had not expected. I suppose that since I had said the spell correctly and it was performed flawlessly it was going on to do the whole deal. I searched my brain for a counter curse but couldn't think of one.

So there I stood clean and smelling like apples. Why apples? I have no idea. But I didn't like the feeling of being so…girly. I looked in the mirror and saw that my eyes had make-up on them. Making a face I licked the palm of my hand and tried to clean some off. It worked a little and I felt a little better for at least trying. Oh, goodness, what was Ron going to think when I come down the morning after his little 'kiss' dressed like I expect something?

I didn't expect anything did I?

I heard a knock on my door and pushed troubling thoughts out of my mind. Ginny stood in my doorway looking like she had just rolled out of bed. "Hermione," she yawned. "If you don't hurry up breakfast's going to be cold." She then opened her eyes very wide and resembled a cartoon character. "Whoa, are you wearing make-up?"

I rolled my eyes and groaned. "I'm trying to get it off," I explained. "I used a spell and it went a little overboard."

Ginny laughed slightly. "Well, you should go overboard more often." With that final note she spun around and left me hating my make-up even more. My stomach growled though and I really wanted some of the food. Licking my palms a final time and rubbing some more off I went downstairs hoping that boys were too boyish to realize I had make-up on.

But of coarse they aren't. When you want them to act like men and not notice that you put time into looking nice that day, they won't. But if you want them to ignore you and pretend nothing is different it seems that you've done some major plastic surgery.

Fred and George were sitting at the table absorbed in an argument about who stole the idea of wearing purple dragon skin outfits from whom. Two down at least. Mr. Weasley was very interested in the newspaper as he read an article out loud to Mrs. Weasley. Two more down. Ginny looked up from her porridge and smiled at me. That only left…

"Hermione! Are you wearing make-up?"

Ron.

Instantly all conversation stopped and four pairs of eyes glanced in my direction. I felt my face grow very hot and tried to hide behind the cereal box as I sat down. Ginny decided that she wanted cereal at that _exact _moment and took away my hiding place.

"Well, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said plopping two eggs onto my plate. "I didn't know you wore make-up."

"I don't I just--"

"Are you excited about seeing Ha--" George began only to be elbowed by Fred. Fred pointed to Mr. Weasley, who thankfully was tuned back into his paper. "Oh, um…are you excited about something that's happening in the near future then?"

"Ya," Fred continued. "Our divination sense is just tingling. We can feel that you're excited."

Ginny giggled into her cereal and splattered milk down her blouse. Fred and George grinned from ear to ear enjoying my embarrassment. Ron seemed to catch on after a moment and gave me a look that made me feel horrible. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. He looked shocked, hurt, and sad. What a horrible combination. Mrs. Weasley was the only person around the table that voiced her opinions. Oh dear! Mrs. Weasley though I put make-up for Harry! No! Oh please, Lord, have the ground swallow me!

"Oh! Hermione Granger! I want you to march upstairs and take that off!"

"But, Mrs. Weasley it was just a spell that went a little extreme!" I tried to explain. I felt even more embarrassed by the minute. My face was about to overheat.

"March, young lady!"

I turned around and got out of the kitchen as fast as I could. Damn Fred and George! They were always putting their two cents in. Now it was costing me. Shutting the door as quickly and quietly as I could I once again turned to stare at myself in the mirror. I did look like I was trying to impress someone. At least Ginny knew that I didn't like Harry. She was the only person that knew I liked Ron. Well, she said that everyone knew but she's the only person I've ever told.

I heard a knock on my door and turned just in time to see Molly come in. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted so motherly to you down there."

"It's ok, Mrs. Weasley. I didn't want any of this on anyway. I was just trying out a spell to clean up faster and I guess I overused it."

Mrs. Weasley walked up to me and put her hands on my shoulders. In an instant she was no longer just my friend's mom, she was no longer just an overprotective mother-like figure in my life. She had become more to me. It seemed the world had caught up to her. Her eyes looked sunken in and she let her guards down letting me see how truly tired and worn out she really was.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I just get worried over you."

The simplest sentence can mean the world to me and this one did. I smiled and felt tears spring to my eyes. It was so innocent really.

"I worry about you too," I said hugging her slightly. Mrs. Weasley made an unladylike noise in the back of her throat and smiled crookedly.

"You have no reason to worry about me, dear. I can take care of myself. I just have a hard time keeping up with all of you kids." She laughed slightly and wiped some tears from her eyes. Clearing her throat she squared her shoulders and gave me a very serious look. "I want you to take care of yourself while you're at Harry's. I don't want any goofing off, and absolutely _no _doing anything dangerous. You're responsible, Hermione, and I know you can do it."

I thought briefly of my idea to promise Harry that Ron and I would be there. I thought for a small second that it was highly dangerous if performed wrong and also very highly illegal to attempt. Probably even illegal to think about. I swallowed hard knowing that I had to tell a lie.

"I'll take care of them, Mrs. Weasley."

OK, so it wasn't a total lie. I would take care of them. No matter what happened. I just wouldn't take care of them in a way that she could appreciate.

* * *

Forty minutes later I'm running around my room like a chicken with its head cut off. I could hear Ginny arguing with Mrs. Weasley downstairs about not wanting to see Harry at this point in time. Ron was sitting on the bed staring at the ceiling. Fred and George were making some weird noises upstairs that I didn't even want to know about. 

I was beginning to grow nervous.

I hadn't seen Harry since school was out. All the letters I had sent him were long and wordy but he sent brief replies. I'm sure that he is depressed and in a dark mood. What if Ron and I only brought back more bad memories?

What if Harry had changed personalities?

He had been through so much it isn't unheard of. I just can't see Harry a depressed being for more than a month. He always sees the bright side of things, right? Well, no. I just really, really hope that he's fine.

Ron sighed and sat up. "Hermione, are you done pacing yet? You're making _me _nervous."

"I can't help it, Ron! So many things could be out of whack. What if Harry doesn't want us around? What if he's so depressed he can't get out of bed? What if he's sick? What will we do then?"

"Hermione, calm down! Harry is fine. He says so in his letters."

I threw my hands up in frustration. How could he be so blind? Honestly! Boys are so clueless! "Ron," I tried to explain. "When you're upset do you tell people that you're upset?" I didn't leave time for him to argue yes or no before I continued. "No, you say you're perfectly fine. Harry is not perfectly fine."

Ron lay back down on the bed and took up looking at the ceiling again. "You worry too much."

"I just worry about the right things, Ronald." I was beginning to grow frustrated with him. "I don't worry about whether the Cannons are going to win a silly match."

This time Ron shot out off the bed and was standing right in front of me in an instant. "Silly match?" he repeated unbelievingly. "Silly match?"

"Oh Ronald, stop being so dramatic! There are more important things than a silly quidditch match!"

"Hermione, I can't believe you would say something like that. What are you so worried about now? Other than Harry being a little sad, which we could cure in a minute."

"I don't know. Everything! Like…like how we could be killed performing the wizard's promise!"

A surprised look came onto Ron's face. He took a step back and stood there. "Killed?"

"Well, ya. I mean, it's a very complicated spell and if the swishes and flicks aren't done exactly right we could be paralyzed or killed or go into a coma or…"

"Hermione," Ron said putting his arms on my shoulders and stopping my rant. "If you think that it's the only way we can get Harry to understand us, then it is and we have to do it. But if you think there is any other way of doing it, then put out there. Because I really don't feel like going into a coma."

I laughed slightly. Like anyone would feel like going into a coma. "I don't see any other way."

"Then it's the only thing we can do."

Before either of us could think on it anymore the door burst open and a disheveled looking Mrs. Weasley staggered in. "It's time to leave," she said patting her wild hair. Ron bit back a laugh and went into a coughing fit. I nodded politely and grabbed my overnight bag.

Once outside I saw the car we'd be driving in. It was a normal looking muggle car I suppose: black and simple. I knew that it was magical though because Ginny, Ron, and I could all fit in the back seat with plenty of room to move around in. Possibly even enough room to sleep if I wanted to. Not that I would be able to with everything I had on my mind.

Mrs. Weasley slid into the driver's seat and started the car up with a loud roar. She banged on the steering wheel and it quieted down instantly. For a long time we drove in silence.

Once we started seeing houses and a neighborhood though Mrs. Weasley went into a long winded speech about being polite in someone else's home and being extremely cautious when talking about Sirius, or Dumbledore, or Cedric, or anyone else for that matter.

Ginny once again begged her mom to let her stay in the car or even walk home. Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have any of it though. Ron rolled his eyes next to me.

The car slowed to a stop on loose gravel. I looked out the window and saw many houses all alike lined in a perfect row. There was no character on Privet Drive. Mrs. Weasley seemed to know where she was going though and we stopped in the driveway of just another ordinary driveway. The light was on in the living room and I could see in a little bit. A family sat at a dining table. There were two heavyset males and a rather giraffe looking woman passing out a roast. I didn't see a Harry, but then again I wasn't surprised.

Mrs. Weasley had slid out of the car and was almost to the door by the time Ginny, Ron, and I had caught up with her. She turned to us and let out a breath. "Just remember to be polite," she recited. It seemed she was reminding herself to keep herself calm.

The doorbell rang and a woman yelled for someone to come answer the door. Footsteps pounded down stairs and a light was flicked on. I hadn't noticed how dark it was outside. It seemed we had only been traveling for an hour but it must have been most of the day.

The pretty wooden door slowly opened and a familiar mess of black hair popped out from behind it. His glasses were slightly askew and his hair was even more messy than usual. His deep, dark green eyes seemed even more vacant and they had dark purple circles beneath them. Oh dear.

"Harry!" I couldn't help myself. I hadn't seen him in such a long time. I jumped into his arms and squeezed maybe a little too tightly. He was shocked for a moment but seemed to realize who I was and hugged back just as strongly.

"Hermione! What are you doing here?"

I stepped back and looked at him. He was wearing too big jeans and a baggy sweatshirt and looked like he hadn't changed out of them since the beginning of summer. Oh dear, dear.

I glanced at Ron and saw that he had a rather sour look on his face. Maybe I should have been a little more cautious of throwing myself at Harry. After all Ron did like me right? At least I think Ron liked me…

Ron blinked hard though and extended his hand toward Harry. Harry shook it wholeheartedly and they pulled each other into one of those 'manly' hugs. Mrs. Weasley weaseled her way in and gave Harry one of those bone crushing hugs she was so famous for. Once Mrs. Weasley had pulled away though Harry's eyes fell onto Ginny.

She however did not even offer Harry her hand. She stood there and glared a hole into the floor in front of her. Her hair hid her face from view and her right foot did a circle in front of her from nervousness. Harry stood awkwardly in the door and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"Uh…what are you doing here?" Harry repeated deciding to skip over Ginny for a while at least.

"We've come to kidnap you, mate," Ron said a smile on his face.

Mrs. Weasley nudged Ron. "Ron, we are here to take Harry to his rightful place. We aren't kidnapping him. After all we're going to persuade his…family…to let him come."

She stumbled over the word family. She had never really seen Harry's Aunt and Uncle as true family. With rightful reason too. I agree that for someone to be your family they have to care for you. They don't necessarily have to be related to you. I consider the Weasley's and Harry to be apart of my family even though we aren't blood related.

Harry looked up suddenly. "That won't take much convincing on your part. I'm pretty sure they want me out of here."

I felt my heart go out to Harry. It must really be rough for him.

"Well anyway we'll have to talk to them. Can we come in?"

Harry opened the door wider and Ginny briskly shot in and was in the hallway away from everyone in a heartbeat. Honestly, she could be so childish at times. I followed in after her. Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to be too shy and marched right into the dining room and interrupted the Dursely's in the middle of their dinner.

"Hi, I'm Molly Weasley," she began. The shocked faces around the table were absolutely priceless. Dudley had his spoon of peas halfway to his face before he froze. Peas fell out of the spoon and onto the table creating a mess but he just stared blankly before him, not able to believe that his dining room was now filled with wizards and witches. Vernon and Petunia also froze with unintelligible looks plastered on their faces. Ron snorted. "I've come here to take Harry away. If that's ok with you I mean."

There was stunned silence. No one said anything. Ron had completely lost it by now and was audibly laughing. "Well, I'll take that as a yes then." Mrs. Weasley spun around and glanced at Harry. "Go get your things dear. We'll be leaving in promptly five minutes." With that Mrs. Weasley left the room and I heard the car start up once again. Harry grabbed my arm and Ron's and pulled us up the stairs and into his room.

It wasn't really a room though. I think it might have been a junk closet. Broken items lay scattered all around the floor and pinned to the walls. Many forgotten toys lay in a corner. Once they were used for fun and now all they did was lay there and collect dust. The only way you could tell that this room was a bedroom was that there was a small unmade bed that seemed to be thrown haphazardly into the room. There was a small chest of drawers leaning against the wall. One drawer was open showing some deep black Hogwarts robes. On the top of the chest was a bird cage that hadn't been cleaned out in a very long time. Hedwig seemed to be happy to see Ron and I though because she hooted merrily and flapped her wings wanting out of the cage.

I went over and opened the latch lettering her bounce out onto my shoulder. She pecked sweetly at my ear and made a low humming noise perfectly content to be out of her space.

"Uncle Vernon doesn't like to see her out of her cage," Harry said as he passed by me. He had a stack of pants in his hand and threw them into a pile in a suitcase. Ron was cleaning out Hedwig's cage with his wand. Well, at least he was _trying _to clean it out. He couldn't remember the spell. I sighed and did it for him. He turned around and gave me a half grin as a thanks.

"She needs to stretch her wings once in a while," I said petting her long white feathers.

"Why are you guys really here?"

I was shocked by the randomness of that question. I had expected out conversation about Hedwig to go on for at least another minute or so. I didn't know what Harry would be so blunt about asking a question like that. Didn't he know the answer?

I looked over to Ron and he had a puzzled look on his face just as I must have had. Ron opened his mouth and made a sort of squeak. I had no idea what to say. I prayed silently for Ron to speak up.

"We're here because Mum didn't think its right to have you locked away in this little house for more than necessary," I heard Ginny say.

I spun around shocked to see her. I had not expected her to say anything to Harry. She had come with us only because Mrs. Weasley would not let her stay at the house all by herself. Mrs. Weasley was horrified of what could happen if only one person was home and something terrible happened.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Harry straighten considerably. His hand shot up and he tried, with no avail, to tame his very messy hair. Hedwig bounced up and down on my shoulder and flew over to Ginny. Ginny caught her and nuzzled her cheek against Hedwig's.

"You came only because Mrs. Weasley thought you should?" Harry asked looking at all three of us.

Oh, honestly Harry! How could he even think that we didn't want to come also? As if we hadn't tried to talk the Weasley's into letting us at least come to see him. As if we hadn't begged for the Order to come and take him away from this place.

Sometimes I think Harry just wants to hear it from us that we do really care for him. Sometimes I think that he thinks we only do things for him because we were told to by someone else.

"Harry, we came because we couldn't stand to hear more letters from you saying you were fine. We came because we wanted to see you again," I explained taking a step toward him.

Harry backed away slightly. It really hurt. I didn't want to be mad at him but the way he was acting made me feel sad and angry. As childish as it is I felt tears spring into my eyes. Damn him! He's so good at making me cry.

"Harry, we're not even supposed to be here. Mum sneaked us out without the orders permission to do so. They have no idea that we're here," Ron said also taking a step toward Harry.

Harry's calculating eyes shot between Ron and me. He seemed to be having an inward battle. Finally after moments of pure torture he nodded his head. I felt so relieved. At least Harry knows that we don't do everything the order tells us.

"So are we going back to your house then, Ron?"

Ron went into a coughing fit at that moment. Oh great. How do we tell Harry that we're going back to Grimwauld Place? He hated it there last time; I know he's going to hate it there this time.

"Actually, we're going to go to Grimwauld Place," I said. My hands were twisting knots in front of me nervously. I always played with my hands when I was uncomfortable.

Harry's reaction was unexpected also, but then again since when was Harry predictable? He seemed to have known that we were going there when he asked the question. Harry's face became a mask and he showed no real emotions, but I knew that he was dreading going there. With a simple nod he grabbed his bag and squared his shoulders.

"Let's get going then."

**Author's Note:** Wow. It's been a really, really long time. I know. I feel bad for it also. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Things are about to get interesting I swear. I think this chapter is a little off compared to my other chapters but I've tried rewriting it and nothing else seems to fit either. I think it's just my lack of updates and I'm out of sync with everything. The next chapter should be up to my standards at least. I hope. So please let me know that I still have some people out there who haven't banished me for lack of updates. Let me know how you like the chapter. I'll try to update as soon as I can.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Nope…not mine.

**Rating:** Well there is going to be some detail about gore, love, lust, hurt, and stuff like that. There's going to be some swearing because I think it adds a hint of color to it. Hehe get it…colorful words? Ahem…maybe not then.

**Author's Note:** Well…I'm sorry for not updating for five months but here is the next adventure in our hero's lives! Thanks so much for all the reviews you guys left. I realize that some people are growing impatient that James has not shown up yet. I understand completely. I too am looking forward to writing his character. But never fear! James will be appearing in the _next _chapter. I'm just not one of those people who will write a time travel story and say in one run-on sentence: Hermione was fed up with everything going on in the world so she used a time turner to go back to the beginning of that day so she wouldn't listen to her best friends Harry the black haired boy and Ron the red monster and stay in bed for once skipping all the classes she had that day so she slips on her way out of bed and by some paranormal activity ends up at Hogwarts when Tom Marvolo Riddle was still going to school and coincidentally they are in the same year at Hogwarts and this is where our story begins…

I completely hate those kinds of stories. If my story turns into _anything_ like this please let me know…I'll fix it as soon as I can!

P.S. - I just realized that that whole spiel about Hermione tripping and ending up back in time sounds like a good story…

P.S.S. - I am kidding of course.

The car ride over to number 12 Grimwauld Place was just about as agonizing as spooning your eyes out and then eating them. Ginny sat next to me, practically sitting on my lap to avoid any contact whatsoever with Harry who sat equally far away from her. Ron, the selfish little git, had sat up in the front with Mrs. Weasley. They talked cheerily away not noticing the drama in the rear of the car.

Harry's arm rested on the arm of the door and kept sliding off. Each time he would scoot a little closer. I was afraid that the door would open and Harry would be sent flying from the car.

"Harry, please put your seatbelt on," I instructed. He glanced at me with a pleading look in his green orbs. Slowly and unsurely he reached behind him and grabbed the seatbelt, bringing it across his chest. He shot me one more extensive look and then choked slightly.

Ginny looked repulsively down to the hook for the seatbelt. In an instant I realized why he had been so reluctant to buckle up. He might actually have to touch a small portion of Ginny! Why I wasn't sitting the middle, I have no idea. I sighed as Harry finally got the seatbelt to click and his arm shot back up to the rest on the door. Ginny let out a breath and suddenly looked out the window.

We were closer to Grimwauld place than I thought we were. Luckily we only had to be put through about half an hour of torture. As soon as were in park I had shot out of the car and was anxiously waiting for Mrs. Weasley to open the trunk. Harry was out just as fast as me and stood next too me looking very apprehensive.

Mrs. Weasley came around and smiled at us. "Excited to spend an evening talking, are we?"

I nodded vigorously. Please, I silently begged, please, let them leave soon. I hate all this uncomfortable silence! Mrs. Weasley opened the trunk and I grabbed my overnight bag and handed Harry his. He smiled his thanks and headed for the door.

I handed Ron his bag next. He thanked me and we walked to the door slowly. Everyone was just standing on the stoop looking at the rusted once brass colored number 12 on it. I remembered the first time I had come here. Trying not to think of the horrible time I had cleaning and fighting I stepped forward and took the initiate to open the door. Harry gave me a strange look and opened it before I could.

Taken aback I stood on the stoop longer than the others. What had been the problem? Maybe I should ask him about that later.

Walking inside the old building I noticed that nothing had changed. It still had that familiar pungent smell. The cobwebs were still hanging and hiding in every nook and cranny. The only thing it lacked was the house elves heads hanging on every surface of the wall. I was glad that someone had come by and taken care of that. While I was here I had to do some cleaning.

I had just taken another step inside when I heard the familiar screech. "FILFTHY MUDBLOOD! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! YOU DISCRACE THE GROUND YOU WALK ON!"

I rolled my eyes remembering the other occupant of the house. Mrs. Weasley shot over to the portrait and put the curtains down with a rather powerful spell. Mrs. Black's angry words were now a muffled hum from behind the curtains. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

"It's no problem, Hermione, dear. She needs to be taken out of this house right away. I'll send someone over tomorrow to finish the job first thing in the morning."

"But I thought she was stuck there forever," Ron said.

"Oh, Ronald, you're so immature. Nothing is forever," Ginny said solemnly looking pointedly at Harry. Goodness she lets him know when she's unhappy doesn't she. Harry looked at the floor.

Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands in front of her. "Well, Ginevra, I believe we best be getting home. I don't want your father to be too worried about us." Ginny nodded and stood next to the door. Mrs. Weasley stood in front of Harry, Ron, and I and sent us each a penetrating look. "Rule one: No doing anything dangerous. This includes, but is not limited to: doing magic, leaving the house, trying to floo anyone, writing to anyone if not an emergency. Rule two: No talk of sadness. I wanted this night to be for you. If you ruin it by talking about unhappy things then it's your own fault. Rule Three: Hermione is in charge. She is the most responsible of the three of you. She stays in her own room also." She paused and sent me a knowing glance. I blushed furiously thinking of this morning. I blushed deeper thinking of the promise I had made to keep them safe. "I will be back tomorrow at one. Stay safe." She then kissed us all on the forehead and left us there bewildered in the foyer.

A moment of silence crept up on us. We all looked expectantly at each other hoping someone would make a move to speak. I could hear an old clock ticking in the distance. It's harsh click thundering throughout the entire building.

_Tick_

What's going to happen tonight?

_Tock_

Is Ron angry with me?

_Tick_

Am I one hundred percent positive that I got the spell right for the wizard's promise?

_CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!_

The loud boom of the chimes startled me. I jumped and let out a little screech. Immediately I felt ashamed of letting myself get so spooked over a silly old clock. Harry and Ron sniggered next to me.

"Oh, you two be quiet! I just wasn't expecting it!"

Harry brushed a piece of hair out of his eyes. "That's obvious, Hermione."

Ron patted his stomach. "It's six o'clock. Time for some dinner I think." Without any other forewarning, Ron spun on his heel and marched into the kitchen. Stunned for the briefest of moments I followed after him. I heard Harry right behind me. I pushed open the door and stopped immediately.

There was an absolute mess! Pots and pans were thrown haphazardly in every which direction. The table was turned over, the cupboards insides thrown out of place, the kitchen window was broken. A revolting red substance covered the entire floor.

"What happened?"

I shook my head. I had no idea. Who would do this? Someone was looking for something. A horrifying thought came into my mind and I grabbed Harry's arm. _Or someone…_

Ron turned around and saw me attached to Harry. Oh great! Just what I need right now. Ron thinking I don't like him and that I actually _do _like Harry. On top of that the guilt of the white lie I told Mrs. Weasley **and **the fact that the kitchen was a mess and someone had been here without permission.

Ron's face showed no emotion but his eyes were heavy. Oh I hate this feeling. I dropped Harry's arm and walked attentively toward Ron. He didn't move but followed me with his wounded eyes. Glass shattered under my feet as I drew closer. I put a hand on Ron's shoulder and sighed. I could feel the emotional strain of the day catching up to me.

Ron broke out of his rigidness in an instant. His eyes softened and his shoulders relaxed. I could feel the annoying tears coming into my overemotional eyes. Damn my emotions! I need to make some kind of a plan to work on controlling them.

Ron's strong arms wrapped me in a calming hug. I was able to take deep breaths and think about calming down. Well, breathe deep anyhow. I'm not too sure how much calming down I did. My heart seemed to beat faster when I was this close to him. All I could really think about is how good he smelled.

We couldn't have been hugging for very long because it ended before I even thought it was time to stop. There was a boom from the other side of the room and for a moment Ron pulled me closer, but it was only Harry rummaging through the broken drawers. Ron pulled away and walked over to him.

"Anything missing?"

Harry shook his head slowly. "I---I don't think so. But what would be here worth stealing? This place is completely worthless."

That question would haunt me for months. What was there that was worth stealing? We had cleared out everything of value, hadn't we? We certainly spent enough time sorting through piles and piles of junk.

"Maybe they were looking for you," I ventured. The boys turned to look at me with their familiar confused looks plastered onto their faces. "I mean, that shouldn't be ruled out should it?"

"Why would they empty the drawers and cupboard then?" Ron asked picking up what used to be an address book of some sort. I shrugged. "And what is this?" He asked pointing to the floor. "Blood?"

"No," Harry said. "It's the potion that was brewing for Lupin. It was almost ready too."

I gasped. No! What would happen? Poor Professor Lupin! He would have to go without his potion for a long time. From the looks of it, months! When was the next full moon?

"Tomorrow night's a full moon," I said solemnly. Harry nodded.

"Should we owl someone?" Ron asked.

"No," I said. "Your mother said only if it was an emergency. She doesn't need to be coming over here this early for something like this."

"But, Hermione, it's not just some thing we can brush aside! What if the person comes back? What if they haven't left?" Ron argued.

"They obviously got what they were looking for. Otherwise the entire house would have been like this. We can tell Mrs. Weasley tomorrow morning when she gets us."

"But…"

"Your mother said she's in charge. She's in charge." Harry said magicing up a mess.

"Harry! No magic! Didn't you hear what Mrs. Weasley said?"

He shrugged and cleaned the rest of the room with a rather powerful spell. I was vaguely surprised at how well it went. Nothing was out of place and it looked like nothing had even happened. Still, Mrs. Weasley had said specifically: Rule one: No doing anything dangerous. This includes, but is not limited to: doing magic, leaving the house, trying to floo anyone, writing to anyone if not an emergency. But then I suppose that I had broken the rule of not owling when there was an emergency. Just because I really wanted to prove my loyalty. I vowed silently to owl the second we finished the wizard's promise. We'd just have to start right away. How do I let Harry know what we want to do?

"Um…Harry, can Ron and I talk to you for a moment?" Harry finished fixing the legs on the table and turned toward me, his green orbs shining. Ron also looked at me with one eyebrow raised in question. "Uh…we just want to talk to you about something important."

Harry looked at Ron and it seemed they were having a conversation with just their eyes. After a significant pause Harry nodded his head. I motioned for them to follow me into the living room.

It was thankfully clean and not searched. I noted the clock above the couch. It had the names of the order and others. Ginny, Fred, George, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were currently at home. Lupin, McGonagall, and many others were pointed to working. Harry, Ron, and I were currently 'In the Noble House of Black'. The red dusty couch looked awfully comforting, so I plumped down into it. Ron sat on the floor by my legs and Harry sat on the other end of the couch.

"Hermione and I were doing some thinking. We know that you don't want us in danger and we understand and respect your point of view, but---"

"No." Harry said firmly. His back was straight and his hands were in a tight fist on his knees. His knuckles were turning a very intense white. His jaw was set in a straight line. I'd never seen him so serious about something. It was almost frightening. I felt myself shrink back into the couch.

"Harry, please--" I tried to say.

"No!" He jumped up from the couch and glared down at Ron and me. "No, I will not have you with me. I will not have you killed right in front of me. I can't and won't live with that."

Ron jumped up also. I was for once glad for how tall he was. Before I was always angry at him for always looming over me. Now I appreciated his growth spurts over the years. Even though Harry was taller in the way he talked and ordered, Ron was taller and could eventually make Harry back down. Hopefully.

"Harry, listen to us. We have been friends with you for forever. We aren't just the kind of friends that hang out on the weekends and talk about unimportant things. We go deeper than that Harry, don't you see?"

Harry stood there his teeth grinding. He rigidly crossed his arms. I sighed and stood next to Ron. Power in numbers, I thought. "All we're saying Harry is that we care for you so much. Just as much as it pains you for us to be in danger, it's just as strong of a care from us to you. It would hurt us so much if you were hurt. We just want to be there by you. To protect you."

Harry turned his head to the side glaring a hole in the wall. No one breathed, no one blinked. I felt the air pressing down on me. I felt that pressure was going to make me pop. Oh, please, say something!

"Please, Harry," Ron said taking a step toward him. Harry turned back to him. I could see his eyes swimming with millions of emotions. As much as Harry didn't want us to be there beside him, something deep down wanted us there, I could just sense it.

Harry's arms fell to his side in defeat. Inside I jumped for joy. Oh! I felt like hugging Harry. I just about did too, but he started talking.

"You just can't be there when it's…when it's…time," he struggled. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. I nodded my head shortly. That, I can understand. "And if you are there," he added. "I want you to leave. I don't want you staying for that, just in case I--"

"Don't! Don't you talk like that Harry James Potter!" I was surprised at how easily I had gone from elated to angry. Apparently so were Ron and Harry. They both looked up with shocked faces. I felt bad for snapping at him, but it was the truth. I was going to follow at least one of Mrs. Weasley's rules to the T. Talking of sadness was not what we were going to do. We were going to think of all the good times we had together and are _going _to have together. "We aren't supposed to talk about things like that. Let's talk about how we're going to fix things and how we are going to happy."

Harry fixed me with a hard look. He seemed to calculating what to say. Finally he gave into something. "I don't know what to say."

Ron chuckled and patted Harry's shoulder. "Just say that you respect us and that you don't want us hurt but you'd like your help."

Harry laughed softly. "Fine. I respect you, I don't want you hurt, and I'd like you're help."

"Something like that," I said hugging Harry lightly. We all laughed. Harry still looked apprehensive about everything, as I knew he would. So I continued with my plan. "You see Harry, Ron and I believed that you wouldn't be convinced that we were going to be there for you." Harry tried to cut in and say something but I held up my hands to stop him. "No, don't give any excuses. We understand that you might think there is the possibility of what happened to your parents. We understand that you wouldn't ever want that to happen. So, we came up with a plan to prove that we'll never do anything like that."

Harry looked quizzically at Ron. Ron however (and I was very proud of him for doing this) looked away innocently. I almost laughed at the look on Harry's face but held it in deciding that now was not the time to start laughing. "We've decided to promise you that we'd never betray you and that we'd always be there for you."

Harry looked confused. One of his eyebrows shot up and disappeared in his mess of black hair. After a slight pause he opened and closed his mouth not grasping what to say. "Promise? Well, thanks guys. I promise to not drink all the butterbeer in Hogsmeade," he said sarcastically. I was surprised at his reaction. He didn't seem to understand that we were going to wizard promise him.

"No, Harry," Ron said pointedly looking at him. "We're going to _promise_."

Something seemed to click in Harry's head and he looked between Ron and me. I couldn't help but look away under his hard, penetrating stare. He cleared his throat slowly. "You mean a wizard's promise?" I nodded dumbly. I didn't think my voice could handle it anymore. His eyes just seemed to burn too deep inside me. He looked between Ron and me with confused and somewhat hurt eyes. I had a feeling though that he just _had_ to feel in his heart that this was right. This was supposed to happen. This was the _only_ way! "Isn't that very dangerous?" He whispered.

At this point I couldn't stand to lie to him. "Yes," was all I managed to get out before he grabbed my shoulders. I was shocked that he could lose his temper like that. Ron stood baffled beside us. "Harry, please!"

"No!" He said shoving me down on the couch. A puff of dust rose in the air. A moment later he had pushed Ron next to me and another angry poof of speckles flew up and then danced slowly down. Harry paced before us. With each clunk of his shoes on the creaky hardwood I grew more and more nervous. "You guys listen, and listen good," he said sticking his finger in our faces without pausing his pacing. "I understand that you want to be there for me and I appreciate that, I do. But proving it to me like this is not going to help. The thing that really needs to be done is that I prove to you that I will protect _you_."

What?

That was so random and messed up that I couldn't even comprehend what he had just said. I sat there on the couch thinking over what he had just said. He might as well have said it in Japanese. Maybe then I would have understood it better! He wants a wizard's promise to protect us?

"Ok," Ron said standing up.

What?

Now I'm totally lost as to what is happening! Ron agreeing with Harry on something like this is colossal! Harry gave Ron a firm handshake and they stood next to each other looking down at me. Two statues of bravery.

Swallowing my pride and going against my better judgment I stood up also and stuck my hand out toward Harry. He calculated my hand for a brief second before pulling me into a fierce hug. I patted his back and looked toward Ron. He winked and gave me a thumbs up. I rolled my eyes.

At least we're still wizard promising to be there for each other. It's just in a different way than I would have liked.

"So," Ron said clapping his hands together. "Where do we start?"

* * *

Two hours later I stood in front of the evil full length mirror and examined myself. I had told the boys that in order for the spell to be powerful and binding we all had to be clean in both thought and sense. I think that meant that we had to have had a nice shower and think only of the purpose of the spell while we were doing it. Not too complicated, right? I sighed and smoothed my skirt. I had chosen, for some odd reason, that it would be more comfortable to me if I was in my Hogwarts uniform. I still marveled at the way it looked. I loved the swish of my skirt when I would run down the hallways, rushing to my next class. I loved the brisk shoulders, the soft sound of the shoes on the stone walkways, and the way my prefects badge glinted in the light.

If only I would have had the chance to wear this outfit for one more year at Hogwarts.

Turning on my heel I walked out of the room taking deep breathes. I must remain calm. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs I noticed that Harry and Ron had done a magnificent job at cleaning the living room. They must have blasted it with every cleaning spell imaginable because it looked as good as new. If only I could get them to commit to the rest of the house with such vigor we'd be getting somewhere.

Ron stood in the corner of the room looking at a picture of Hogwarts. It was hand drawn with nothing but a quill. The Quidditch pitch loomed in the distance looking marvelous and dangerous. Ron had chosen to wear his Chudley Cannons outfit, so he was as bright as the sun with his orange colors.

Harry sat in the corner looking ever so pensive. He had chosen to wear just a simple pair of jeans and the sweater with an H on it from Mrs. Weasley. He nervously adjusted his glasses and looked at his watch for a moment.

"Well," I began. "Is everyone ready?"

Their complete silence answered my question. We weren't ready for something like this, but we had no other choice. I clapped my hands in front of me and gestured to the coffee table by the new dust free sofa. Ron and Harry sat down first and turned awkwardly toward each other. I kneeled in front of them carefully skimming over the text of the book on the table before I began. Slowly I raised my wand.

"Harry, do you promise to be there for me? To protect me in any cases of danger?" Ron's voice as solemn and deep giving me shivers at his intensity. Harry squeezed Ron's hand and whispered barely audibly.

"Yes, I do."

Concentrating very hard on my part of the job I closed my eyes and felt the thin string of power emit from my wand and bind their wrists.

"Ron, do you promise the same? To be there for me in all times of danger?"

"Yes, I do."

Although my eyes were squeezed shut concentrating very hard, I could still see the red burst of light shoot from my wand. I felt drained when the last burst had left my wand. Slowly I opened my eyes to see that everything went right. Ron and Harry were still sitting on the couch, but there was something very different. We didn't change our positions at all, we didn't even blink, but we could all feel it.

There was a feeling of hope. We all knew that there was someone out there for us. We all felt loved and safe. No matter what we had said before, we were all OK here. There were no more empty promises for Harry. It felt so invigorating!

"Wow," Ron said standing up and switching places with me. I sat now on the couch next to Harry, feeling like each breath I took could be the last one I took if this didn't go right. I felt so exhausted that I didn't know if I could last it through the entire spell without giving into sleep. Harry looked equally tired I realized.

Ron raised his wand and cleared his throat.

"Ready?" Harry asked taking my hand and squeezing it gently.

"Of course," I replied giving a squeeze back.

"Harry, do you promise to be there for me in times of trouble and in happiness?" I felt so nervous that he would change his mind and be only satisfied with having Ron with him. I closed my eyes briefly reassuring myself that he wouldn't. This is Harry we're talking about!

"Yes, I do."

The thin coil of red mist shot from Ron's wand and encircled our hands. It hissed lightly as it touched us and it felt extremely hot. I gasped, surprised at the sudden heat. It burned a small circle into the wrist of my hand. Barely visible unless you were looking for it. I looked at Harry and he smiled looking down at the two joined circles on his own wrist.

"Hermione, do you promise to also be there for me in times of trouble and in happiness?"

This is it! We're going to be there for each other! What a relief!

"Yes I--"

There was a sudden burst of blue angry light. I saw the front door splinter into a million pieces and scatter in the once clean room. Ron turned toward the noise and was knocked to his feet; a small trickle of blood came from his mouth. I couldn't move. Harry and I were frozen to our seats with the uncompleted vow.

I saw the swish of black capes flow into the room and felt nauseous. Why couldn't I move a muscle!

I didn't realize what was happening. I was suddenly struggling to keep the images in focus. Everything blurred together and because a pool of light. I felt like I was swimming through a strong tide. I wasn't going to make it! I was choking and losing my vision completely.

The last thing I remembered before I lost all consciousness is a low evil cackle resounding all around me.

**Author's Note:** Wow, that only took forever. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I realize now that it is called the unbreakable vow and not the wizard's promise, but I think it's too late to change it, so it's going to mean the same thing from now on. I'm really looking forward to writing the next bit in the story! I can't wait to develop James' character into the story. I'm going to stay true to what JK has said about him (I hope!) but I'm so excited to make him a mischief maker and the undeniable sweet heart! Well, everyone have a good remainder of their summer. Don't work too hard. I'll update when I can.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** A good friend of mine told me it was good luck to wish on two fruit loops that were stuck together. I explored the darn cereal box 'til I found one, and you know what? I still am not the creator of Harry Potter. Blasted fruit loops!

**Author's Note:** Wow, sorry for not updating in years! Truth be told, I had somewhat forgotten about fanfiction. Trust me, I feel guilty about it now, but I have come to a decision that I will have this story finished by the time the seventh (cry!) book comes out. Hopefully….that's my goal.

I twirled endlessly for what seemed like an eternity. The entire time I was kicking and screaming, yet, no words were coming out. I could tell that I was forming the words and using articulation, but my ears, who were attuned to the littlest of sounds, were hearing nothing. It was oddly eerie. I couldn't see a thing. Whirls of colors flew by, I didn't have a chance to look or focus on anything.

However, I was gaining some strength. I was no longer as groggy as I had been during the wizard's promise. I was suddenly invigorated. The one sense that was heightened instead of dampened was my sense of feeling. I could feel the rush of 'air' as it swooshed by. The strangest thing though, was that it was in fact _not _air. It should have been air, but its texture was like water; silky and flowing. But, I could breathe.

I reached up toward what I thought was the 'surface' of this water/air-like thing. I couldn't feel anything to latch onto. It was warm up above me. Not uncomfortably warm, but a pleasant warm that you feel on the evenings on a nice July day. My extremities were tingling oddly.

Suddenly, I felt something like a stone wall. I'm still not sure, to this day, what exactly it was. Instantly I grabbed onto it without thinking of the consequences. My fingers strained against the current as I tried to pull myself onto the ledge. In my mind I could envision myself climbing onto the ledge and standing on some sort of cliff.

In all actuality it was nothing like a cliff. When I could reach my other hand up to pull myself up I strained to see over the edge. The colors were slowly morphing into one solid deep red. For some odd reason the wall I was holding onto was not as hard as it had been. It felt fluffy, soft, and welcoming as my strength once again was ebbing.

With once last burst of energy I pulled myself over.

And the whirling stopped. At least everything came into focus, or it _would_ have been in focus if I hadn't of had to shut my eyes from the growing headache I was getting. The room stopped spinning after several minutes and I slowly opened them.

I was someplace that looked vaguely familiar. At first my thought was, oh no! I've been taken hostage by the death eaters that came during the wizard's promise! I've been taken to the lair. But as I looked around, I knew that I had been here before, and surely they wouldn't take me to someplace I'd already been.

My eyes scanned the room and found nothing that stuck out in my memory. It was just a generic bedroom. Nothing oddly out of place; a dresser, a bed (which I was lying on), and a closet filled with robes from Hogwarts.

Hold on one second. Closet filled with Hogwarts Robes? Where was I? I had to be someplace near England. I cautiously got up and went to the closet. The robes were men's. They had the basic Hogwarts Crest smacked on it. No was to tell what house it was. The other robes were just the same. But something caught my eye. In the corner, the last piece hanging from a hanger was a bright green color. My heart sank. Slytherin Quidditch robes! Instantly my heart felt a cold hand grip it. A deep sinking feeling pierced me. I was in Malfoy's house! Not only his house, but his room!

But that little voice of reason I had called out tauntingly, "You can't be in Malfoy's house! You've never been to Malfoy's house!" The feeling that settles in my stomach was one that I didn't like at all. The feeling of having something under your nose but not knowing in the least what it was. I turned and paced the room thinking hard.

One thing was for sure. I wasn't going to open the door. I dint' want to risk the chance of wandering out and meeting someone I didn't want to meet. Oh, but Harry and Ron were still out there someplace. The death eaters might have abandoned me but they weren't about to leave Harry alone! Without thinking of what would happen if I opened the door to wherever I threw it open in a rush.

Just a hallway.

But it hit me then.

Of course I knew where I was. I hadn't left at all. For some odd reason I had just been transported upstairs of Grimwauld Place. The room had looked familiar because it had always been Ginny's and my room. It looked more spacious without the two dressers in it with two crammed beds stuck haphazardly in also. Unfortunately I didn't focus on the fact that mysteriously there was only one bed in the room or the fact of the Slytherin robes. Something else had caught my attention.

Of all the things to notice. But as I looked around I could tell that this was not the Grimwauld Place that I had been in. It was _clean_. Not only clean, but spotless. It had beautiful portraits with gleaming gold frames protecting them. The carpet was full and padded. Down toward the stairway there was a great oak chest with crystal bowls sitting on it filled with candy. Whoever would dare touch a bowl like that for a candy must have been a fool. It was too beautiful to touch.

Cautiously I stepped out. I held my breath trying not to be too loud. Something was way off, and I had to find out. I crept to the staircase and stopped dead in my tracks.

The head of former house elves still filled the wall. However there were less house elves than there usually were. The last elf had its little gold plaque beneath it reading: _Shirl services offered July 1952-November 1978._ The next plaque had been screwed into the wall. It read: _Grefty services offered November 1978--_. Present? Was that it? The house elf was still working there? But it wasn't 1978!

"Who the hell are you?"

I spun around my hand inside my robes for my wand. I felt the cool wood against my palm thanking the gods that somehow or another it had survived the journey. I ripped it out and pointed it at the interrogator. He stood tall and confused at the end of the hall. He had long dark black hair that was pulled out of his face and tied in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck by a green cord. His eyes were quizzical and…amused? His face struck a chord in my memory, but I couldn't form the words to say what I wanted to desperately.

He stepped forward and withdrew his wand also. He pointed it slowly at me. I could feel the blood pounding through me. Great, I thought. Now I'm dead. But he only swished it around as if wanting to say something, but not able to. He cursed aloud and in two great strides he was standing directly in front of me. He pushed my arm down and took my wand from my numb fingers. "No cursing in the Noble House of Black."

"Sirius!"

I just knew it had to be him. He had the same dark features, but his eyes were sparkling with merriment all the time. He definitely lived in this house during his earlier life. It all made sense.

However, the young man in front of me scowled. "Oh, you're looking for _him._" He bit the final word as if it tasted bad. If he wasn't Sirius, then who was he?

A voice shouted up the stairs answering my question. "Regulus, you get your ass down here if you know what's good for you!"

I'm sure my eyes must have popped out of my head. My mouth opened to a little Oh of surprise. Regulus Black! The known death eater. Killed at the hand of his Lord! Sirius had only briefly mentioned him. I knew nothing of the man, other than he was bad and should be avoided at all costs.

Frightened I stepped away from him. Where was I going to flee? I couldn't just run out the front door. He would certainly chase me down. A strange person doesn't just enter your house and then flee without you have the least bit of curiosity for them. Besides, there was no guarantee that I would make it out the door before someone else saw me. Perhaps it would have been Sirius, but it could have been his mother.

"I—um—I have to—"

To what? To my complete horror I could hear pounding footsteps coming up the stairs. I turned toward them for a second. I couldn't see them yet but they would be here soon. Turning again I looked at Regulus. He must have seen something in my eyes. I felt his hand clamp down on my mouth and I could feel the wall against my back. I was trapped.

"Just be quiet," he whispered menacingly in my ear. I could only nod. Regulus shoved me into a nearby closet. Once the darkness held me captive I leaned over and looked out the miniature key hole.

It must be easy for people in the movies to do this. However, in the small cramped closet I was in it was nearly impossible to see anything other than a stream of light flow in. But, I could still hear the conversation.

"Regulus, she's pretty mad. You should just go tell her that you took it," the voice said.

"_I_ didn't take it! It was that stupid friend of yours." The ever cocky voice of Regulus interrupted.

"James wouldn't steal something from me."

"No, of course not. But he would steal from Black's."

There was a silence that fell upon them like snow. For me it wasn't so awkward, but for the two men standing just feet from my hiding place I could tell that they were uncomfortable with the situation.

"Either way, if it doesn't show up soon, you'll be the one in trouble, so you better find it!" Sirius must have walked away then because a moment later Regulus opened the closet door and grabbed my arm.

Before I could protest as to what we were doing, I was thrown back into the room I had come from. Regulus wasted no time. Instantly he was standing in front of me, arms crossed defiantly. His dark eyes shot me down with a million silent questions.

"Who are you?" He finally spoke.

Swallowing a gulp of air I thought of ways to stall. Unfortunately, if there wasn't some unspeakable monster or life threatening peril standing in front of me, I was not a regular fast thinker. Usually, I made the wrong decision. "Who am I?" I countered. "Who are _you_?"

Oh great. What a wonderful distraction, Hermione! I mentally slapped myself.

Regulus on the other hand looked somewhat amused. He unfolded one of his arms and bent down with a grace that I wish I had. "I," he said looking at the floor. He stood up once again smoothly grabbing my hand as he did so. He laid a sweet kiss on it looking up at me. "am Regulus Black." His lips still brushed my hand as he spoke and shivers were instantly sent down my back. His smirk widened to a smile at that.

"I am Hermione," was all I could manage.

"Is there a last name that accompanies a name so sweet?" Regulus was much more of a charmer than I had imagined him to be.

Come to think of it, I had never really thought of him. When I had it had usually been thoughts of terror and killing raids. Nothing like the romancer that stood before me. I had always imagined Sirius to be a charmer in his younger years, but I never expected his younger brother to follow in his footsteps.

But what to answer to the last name? I had none that would be recognizable, and I knew that in this time period it was even more important to be of pure blood decent. I racked my brain for a small family, not widely known back then…at least in the area. Only one popped into my head.

"Krum."

Regulus raised his eyebrows. Hermione Krum did not flow well. However, to my delight, he seemed to accept the name.

"Pleased to meet you Miss Hermione Krum." He walked the length of the room and casually flung himself on the bed. He was relaxed with his arms behind his head looking at the ceiling. "Now, what pray tell, are you doing in my house?"

"Well, you see I was um--"

A pound on the door silenced me. I closed my eyes. This situation was getting steadily more and more impossible to weave my around in. "Regulus," the voice began, but instantly stopped on sight of me. Sirius grew a smug grin. "Ah, looks like you're hiding a fair maiden. Wait 'til I tell Mother!"

"Sirius, don't!" Whined the younger Black.

Sirius now realizing that he had Regulus by the horns goaded him on further. "Ah, what do you think she'll do when she finds her little boy isn't so sweet anymore? Will she cry or give her blessings? Will she kill herself in the foyer or start planning the wedding?"

"It's nothing like that," Regulus explained stepping closer to his brother. "This is just a small visit from an old quidditch friend. Best keeper I know."

So now I was no longer just stuck in the wrong time, going under false names, but now I'm also a good quidditch player. I hate flying!

Sirius looked at him skeptically but seemed too tired to pursue the argument.

I heard a noise in the hallway that went unnoticed by the boys. I could tell someone was coming but I didn't know who else would be joining us.

A tall black haired figure appeared in the doorway.

Of course! It was Harry! I must not have been the only one transported back in time. It would make sense that the spell had affected both of us. Perhaps Ron was sent back also. It would be mush easier to endure this if I had them with me.

Forgetting the actual situation that was around me I rushed toward Harry.

"Oh, Harry!" I said hugging him tightly. Harry seemed surprised to see me but after a moment he wrapped his arms around me. "I thought you were someplace else. I thought maybe you were gone or still downstairs…"

I pulled away slightly to look him in the face. Instead of seeing the sparkling green eyes that were Harry's, I saw chocolate brown ones swimming with confusion. I quickly glanced up at his forehead.

No scar.

I stepped back as if I had been burned. My face was bright red. Not with embarrassment, but with fear. No…Harry was not here. Who knew where he actually was. But one thing was for sure.

I had just hugged James Potter.

**Author's Note:** Well, I hope ya'll enjoyed this. I'm sorry it took forever to update, but better late than never right?

Please don't be angry.

And Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate it!


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